Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1887-10-07
Friday, October =, 1857.
COMING no THE LIGHT.


The speech made at Manchester, England
the other day by Mr.. Adamson, president of
| the British Iron and Steel Institute, is at
tracting a good deal of attention. The Eng
| Iish iron trade has hitherto been pointed out
as the best example of the correctness of the
free-trade theory that the way to foster a
trade is to throw it open to the competition
of all the world. Now it appears from the
very candid admission of SO expert an OBJ
server and SO experienced o manufacturer as
| Mr.. Adamson that the continuance of free
| resented to the very verge of losing both the
| foreign and the home market.
It is plain to-day that the only hope of the
English iron manufacturers for remunera-
| tive business, or even for the possibility of
| continuing their business lies in the further
development and extension of railroads in
India, Burmah and China. As for the Eng
| lish market, Belgium is fast crowding out the
| native manufacturers, and a single illustra-
ton is enough to show the fact. On the au-
thority of Mr.. Adamson the same quantity of
wrought iron or steel girders that, produced
in England, costs 95, 900, can be imported
from Belgium for "a $50. That may seem a
small margin in favor OF the foreign pro-
ducer, but in the necessarily close calcula-
tions of business men it is quito enough to
turn trade away from the home market. The
reason why Belgium can put its manufac-
tured iron upon the market at the cheaper
price is, of course, obvious. There wages are
exceedingly cheap, the standard of living
among workingmen lower than in England,
and the regular hours of labor much longer.
Lessened cost of production, therefore, gives
the Belgian producer o uatural advantage
over his English competitor. The English
men are beginning to realize that they need
little protection; and Mr.. Adamson is be-
lieved to have but voiced the general senti-
ment of his business associates when, in the
course of his address, he said that as long as
free trade is continued $50 long will our
great industry remain depressed, and our for
eign competitor rejoice at our want of fore
sight"
This ought to help keep the eyes of the
people of this country open. The Providence
Journal puts the matter about right when it
says: There is no reason for raising a tariff
wall that will be absolutely insurmountable
by foreign goods. But it should at least be
so high that the foreign producer cannot
come over it without as much difficulty and
expense as the home manufacturer is COM
PEELED to incur by reason of the severer CON
ditions of home production. So far the
United States has succeeded in protecting it
self in this regard; its industries have not
fallen into such straits as has the British iron
and steel trade. There is always danger,
however, lest in the prosperity of the present
we forget the means by which it has been
attained. For that reason this latest
warning which comes to us from England
is worth thinking about, especially as the
extremely delicate work of making neces-
sary changes in our tariff without i'm
perilling its benefcent effects is now
uOOn